This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(f) of the application for a grant of European Community Plant Breeders Rights which was filed for the instant plant variety on Jun. 30, 2008, Application Number 2008/1507.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of hardy garden pink or carnation which is grown for use as a flowering plant for pots and containers and for planting in the garden or landscape. The new cultivar is known botanically as Dianthus×hybrida and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name ‘WP08 VER03’.
‘WP08 VER03’ is a complex hybrid plant that is the product of a breeding program started by the inventor in 1985. The breeding program is conducted in a cultivated area of Houndspool, Dawlish, Devon, United Kingdom. The inventor selected ‘WP08 VER03’ in 2003 for its flowers which are double and bi-colored lavender-pink with a maroon “eye”. The petals of ‘WP08 VER03’ are deeply fimbriated and flowers are pleasantly perfumed.
‘WP08 VER03’ resulted from the open pollination between the inventor's unreleased and unpatented seedling selection Dianthus code number WE03 as female parent plant and an unknown seedling as male parent plant.
‘WP08 VER03’ is distinguishable from the female parent as follows: Whereas ‘WP08 VER03’ bears double flowers which are colored lavender pink with a maroon eye, the flowers of the female parent are semi-double and are colored white with a dark magenta eye.
The variety of Dianthus which is considered by the inventor to most closely resemble ‘WP08 VER03’ is the inventor's variety, Dianthus ‘Devon Esther’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,222). ‘WP08 VER03’ is distinguishable from ‘Devon Esther’ as follows: The flowers of ‘WP08 VER03’ are more fully double with greater fimbriation of the petals than the flowers of ‘Devon Esther’. The flowers of ‘Devon Esther’ are darker purple-pink in color than the lavender-pink color of the flowers of ‘WP08 VER03’.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by the inventor in 2003 in a cultivated area of Houndspool, United Kingdom. The method of asexual propagation used was vegetative cuttings. Since that time the characteristics of the new cultivar have been determined stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.